Austin is a great minimum two-day trip. It is not necesary to rent a car. The Metro bus system has an express bus (#100) that takes you from the airport to downtown Austin in three stops for $1.50 (Websites: http://www.capmetro.org/schedulemap.aspx?f1=100&s=1&d=0 and http://www.capmetro.org/default.aspx ). We arrived early enough to check into our hotel (Double-Tree on 15th and Guadalupe) and walk down to the Congress Street Bridge where 1.5 million bats leave their roost nightly starting around 8:30 PM from late March to October. You want to be along the path on either side of the river east of the bridge. You can also reserve seats on boats that will be in the river as bats leave. Capital Cruises Austin Bat Watching Tours is one of the companies that offers boat rides. You need to make reservations a day in advance. The company is located along the river behind the Hyatt Hotel at 208 Barton Springs Road. You can call them at 512-480-9264 for information and prices. Here's some websites: http://www.capitalcruises.com/bat-watching/ and http://www.videocityguide.com/Austin/listings/Congress-Bridge-Bats. YouTube Video of bats flying from the bridge: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DuF-p2Fpd4 .
There are many great food establishments. The Iron Cactus Restaurant is located on the corner of 6th Street and Trinity Street. It is one of our favorites. www.ironcactus.com The food is great, and they have a number of seating levels which includes a rooftop deck. The iconic Franklin BBQ (Website: https://franklinbbq.com/ ) is simply, delicious. They open at 11:00 AM, be there!
Swift's Attic located between Third and Fourth Avenues on Congress Street is a small, somewhat upscale restaurant/bar that sits above the Elephant Room and is geared for the older crowd. You will need reservations to eat there or arrive early in the evening to get a spot at the bar area. With all that arranged, this place is great for an evening out with your date or significant other. We were impressed with their weird beer selection and their specialty desserts. We had some crazy awesome dessert made from banana creme pudding, chocolate dumpling things, chocolate flake, espresso ice cream, and candied pecans. Desserts don't get better than this. The music here is very eclectic. There's a little bit of everything for everyone. The late night menu is very creative and meant for sharing. Website: http://www.swiftsattic.com/desktop/ .
My wife and I enjoy piano bars. On 6th Street you can visit Pete's Dueling Pianos Bar. www.petesduelingpianobar.comThere is usually a cover charge, and there is always a good time. It is located on 6th Street between Trinity and Neches Streets.
If you like Pubs, visit B.D. Riley's Irish Pub on 6th Street between San Jacinto and Brazos Streets. Live music starts at 10:30 PM. www.bdrileys.com
There are MANY other establishments along East 6th Street. Feel free to check them out and add your thoughts about them.
If you want to eat late at night, Katz's Deli serves food all night long. They have a website too: www.katzneverkloses.com to check out their menu. They are located on West 6th Street between Rio Grande and Nueces Streets. It's about five blocks WEST of Congress Street to reach Katz's.
During the day, we took a long walk along the Colorado River starting at Congress Street Bridge. You can walk up to 10 miles along both the north and south sides of the river. The trail is called the Lady Bird Lake Trail. The following site has information and a map. www.townlaketrail.org The trail is used by walkers, joggers, and bikers. A great way to get some exercise.
Austin is a 1.5 hour drive from San Antonio along Interstate 35. It's pretty easy to double-up on these two great Texas Cities. Check out my San Antonio write-up on this website for more information.
Keep Austin Weird and enjoy!
Mike Summers
Mike Summers - June 2012:
Some additional tips about Austin: The city is in the middle of legendary Texas barbecue. One of the best is Louie Mueller Barbecue (Website: http://www.louiemuellerbarbecue.com/ ) in nearby Taylor, TX. Try the sliced to order brisket. If you like sausage, head to the Southside Market and Barbeque in Elgin, TX where spiced beef is packed intonatural pork casing. The website is: http://www.southsidemarket.com/ . For sweets, go to the old fashioned soda fountain at Lock Drugs in Bastrop, TX. The website is: http://lockdrugs.com/ . Finally, just 34 miles southwest of Austin is the town of Lockhart, TX known as the BBQ capital of Texas. There are four great eateries: 1) Smitty's Market is the home of pork ribs and brisket (Website: http://www.smittysmarket.com/ ). 2) Kreuz Market is home of pork chops and prime rib (Website: http://www.kreuzmarket.com/index.shtml ). 3) Chisholm Trail Bar B Q Restaurant goes beyond smoked meats and serves fajitas and fried catfish (Website: http://www.chisholmtrailbbq.com/ ). 4) Black's Barbecue is home to a variety of links of sausage (Website: http://www.blacksbbq.com/default.aspx ). Check the websites for more specific information. Enjoy!
Mike Summers
Mike Summers - March 2013:
Went back to Austin for the 2013 NCAA Basketball Tournament. I found a few other places to enjoy. We went to County Line Barbecue (Website: http://www.countyline.com/CountyLineLake.html ). We tried the "All You Can Stand" menu item. which included all you can eat pork ribs, beef ribs, chicken, turkey, sausage, ham, and brisket. I thought that the brisket, turkey, and pork ribs were exceptionally good. The meal also includes bottomless sodas, bread, beans, potato salad, cole slaw, ice cream, and cobbler. All for $29.00 per person. We also visited Scholz Garten (Website: http://www.scholzgarten.net/), which calls itself the oldest establishment in Texas. It's close to the Capital Building and the University of Texas campus. Nice daily specials and good beer. They have inside and outside seating. Another great place is called Moonshine Grill (Website: http://moonshinegrill.com/ ) with excellent food and nice patio seating. Their only drawback is no beer on tap.
The best place to watch the million+ bats fly out from the Congress Street Bridge from late March to September (Websites: http://austin.about.com/od/austinattractions/p/Bats_in_Austin.htm and http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images?_adv_prop=image&fr=my-myy&va=Congress+Street+Bats+Austin ) is from the Radison Hotel at 111 Cesar Chavez (Corner of Congress and Cesar Chavez). Go into the lobby turn left past the Starbucks and take the elevator to the sixth floor. Leave elevator at sixth floor and walk outside to the parking garage. The bats leave the bridge just past sunset. Great view. When done, if you want a quiet place to sit, listen to some live music, and enjoy an adult beverage, head to the Driskill Hotel on Sixth Street at Brazos Street (Website: http://www.driskillhotel.com/the-driskill-bar.php ). If you prefer at nice burger, try Sullivan's Steakhouse (Website: http://sullivanssteakhouse.com/ ). We ate in the side-bar which is attached to the main restaurant through a hallway. Austin is a lively town. I certainly enjoy each visit. Renting a bicycle is a great option in this city.
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Austin Wikitravel Website: http://wikitravel.org/en/Austin
Austin Downtown Wikitravel Website: http://wikitravel.org/en/Austin/Downtown
Hill Country Texas Wikitravel Website: http://wikitravel.org/en/Hill_Country
Mike Summers - April 2010:
Austin is a great minimum two-day trip. It is not necesary to rent a car. The Metro bus system has an express bus (#100) that takes you from the airport to downtown Austin in three stops for $1.50 (Websites: http://www.capmetro.org/schedulemap.aspx?f1=100&s=1&d=0 and
http://www.capmetro.org/default.aspx ). We arrived early enough to check into our hotel (Double-Tree on 15th and Guadalupe) and walk down to the Congress Street Bridge where 1.5 million bats leave their roost nightly starting around 8:30 PM from late March to October. You want to be along the path on either side of the river east of the bridge. You can also reserve seats on boats that will be in the river as bats leave. Capital Cruises Austin Bat Watching Tours is one of the companies that offers boat rides. You need to make reservations a day in advance. The company is located along the river behind the Hyatt Hotel at 208 Barton Springs Road. You can call them at 512-480-9264 for information and prices. Here's some websites: http://www.capitalcruises.com/bat-watching/ and http://www.videocityguide.com/Austin/listings/Congress-Bridge-Bats. YouTube Video of bats flying from the bridge:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DuF-p2Fpd4 .
Sixth Street east of Congress is a hot spot for evenings (especially Fridays and Saturdays). Here's some background information about it through wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austin,_Texas
You can check out the website for Sixth Street for weekly activities at: www.6street.com. Two Youtube Videos of Sixth Street:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8cJFD3lU02k and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvyXzalJOVs .
There are many great food establishments. The Iron Cactus Restaurant is located on the corner of 6th Street and Trinity Street. It is one of our favorites. www.ironcactus.com The food is great, and they have a number of seating levels which includes a rooftop deck. The iconic Franklin BBQ (Website: https://franklinbbq.com/ ) is simply, delicious. They open at 11:00 AM, be there!
Swift's Attic located between Third and Fourth Avenues on Congress Street is a small, somewhat upscale restaurant/bar that sits above the Elephant Room and is geared for the older crowd. You will need reservations to eat there or arrive early in the evening to get a spot at the bar area. With all that arranged, this place is great for an evening out with your date or significant other. We were impressed with their weird beer selection and their specialty desserts. We had some crazy awesome dessert made from banana creme pudding, chocolate dumpling things, chocolate flake, espresso ice cream, and candied pecans. Desserts don't get better than this. The music here is very eclectic. There's a little bit of everything for everyone. The late night menu is very creative and meant for sharing. Website: http://www.swiftsattic.com/desktop/ .
My wife and I enjoy piano bars. On 6th Street you can visit Pete's Dueling Pianos Bar. www.petesduelingpianobar.com There is usually a cover charge, and there is always a good time. It is located on 6th Street between Trinity and Neches Streets.
If you like Pubs, visit B.D. Riley's Irish Pub on 6th Street between San Jacinto and Brazos Streets. Live music starts at 10:30 PM. www.bdrileys.com
There are MANY other establishments along East 6th Street. Feel free to check them out and add your thoughts about them.
If you want to eat late at night, Katz's Deli serves food all night long. They have a website too: www.katzneverkloses.com to check out their menu. They are located on West 6th Street between Rio Grande and Nueces Streets. It's about five blocks WEST of Congress Street to reach Katz's.
During the day, we took a long walk along the Colorado River starting at Congress Street Bridge. You can walk up to 10 miles along both the north and south sides of the river. The trail is called the Lady Bird Lake Trail. The following site has information and a map. www.townlaketrail.org The trail is used by walkers, joggers, and bikers. A great way to get some exercise.
You can also check out the University of Texas campus (Website: http://www.mytravelguide.com/attractions/profile-79141305-United_States_Texas_Austin_University_of_Texas_Visitors_Information_Center.html ).
and the Lyndon Johnson Presidential Library (Website: http://lbjlibrary.org/ ) while in Austin.
Austin is a 1.5 hour drive from San Antonio along Interstate 35. It's pretty easy to double-up on these two great Texas Cities. Check out my San Antonio write-up on this website for more information.
Keep Austin Weird and enjoy!
Mike Summers
Mike Summers - June 2012:
Some additional tips about Austin: The city is in the middle of legendary Texas barbecue. One of the best is Louie Mueller Barbecue (Website: http://www.louiemuellerbarbecue.com/ ) in nearby Taylor, TX. Try the sliced to order brisket. If you like sausage, head to the Southside Market and Barbeque in Elgin, TX where spiced beef is packed intonatural pork casing. The website is: http://www.southsidemarket.com/ . For sweets, go to the old fashioned soda fountain at Lock Drugs in Bastrop, TX. The website is:
http://lockdrugs.com/ . Finally, just 34 miles southwest of Austin is the town of Lockhart, TX known as the BBQ capital of Texas. There are four great eateries: 1) Smitty's Market is the home of pork ribs and brisket (Website: http://www.smittysmarket.com/ ). 2) Kreuz Market is home of pork chops and prime rib (Website: http://www.kreuzmarket.com/index.shtml ). 3) Chisholm Trail Bar B Q Restaurant goes beyond smoked meats and serves fajitas and fried catfish (Website: http://www.chisholmtrailbbq.com/ ). 4) Black's Barbecue is home to a variety of links of sausage (Website: http://www.blacksbbq.com/default.aspx ). Check the websites for more specific information. Enjoy!
Mike Summers
Mike Summers - March 2013:
Went back to Austin for the 2013 NCAA Basketball Tournament. I found a few other places to enjoy. We went to County Line Barbecue (Website: http://www.countyline.com/CountyLineLake.html ). We tried the "All You Can Stand" menu item. which included all you can eat pork ribs, beef ribs, chicken, turkey, sausage, ham, and brisket. I thought that the brisket, turkey, and pork ribs were exceptionally good. The meal also includes bottomless sodas, bread, beans, potato salad, cole slaw, ice cream, and cobbler. All for $29.00 per person. We also visited Scholz Garten (Website: http://www.scholzgarten.net/), which calls itself the oldest establishment in Texas. It's close to the Capital Building and the University of Texas campus. Nice daily specials and good beer. They have inside and outside seating. Another great place is called Moonshine Grill (Website:
http://moonshinegrill.com/ ) with excellent food and nice patio seating. Their only drawback is no beer on tap.
The best place to watch the million+ bats fly out from the Congress Street Bridge from late March to September (Websites:
http://austin.about.com/od/austinattractions/p/Bats_in_Austin.htm and
http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images?_adv_prop=image&fr=my-myy&va=Congress+Street+Bats+Austin ) is from the Radison Hotel at 111 Cesar Chavez (Corner of Congress and Cesar Chavez). Go into the lobby turn left past the Starbucks and take the elevator to the sixth floor. Leave elevator at sixth floor and walk outside to the parking garage. The bats leave the bridge just past sunset. Great view. When done, if you want a quiet place to sit, listen to some live music, and enjoy an adult beverage, head to the Driskill Hotel on Sixth Street at Brazos Street (Website: http://www.driskillhotel.com/the-driskill-bar.php ). If you prefer at nice burger, try Sullivan's Steakhouse (Website: http://sullivanssteakhouse.com/ ). We ate in the side-bar which is attached to the main restaurant through a hallway. Austin is a lively town. I certainly enjoy each visit. Renting a bicycle is a great option in this city.